Andrew Wiggins’ Sneaker Deal Reportedly Could Reach $180 Million

When Andrew Wiggins makes the jump to the NBA, he’ll make one shoe company very happy (which will, in turn, make Wiggins a very rich, young man.) Wiggins’ sneaker deal could be worth as much as $180 million. Per ZagsBlog and Bleacher Report: “Nike, Under Armour and possibly even Li Ning are also expected to vie for Wiggins’ first sneaker deal next spring. ‘Andrew will force a three-team bidding,’ grassroots sneaker legend Sonny Vaccaro told SNY.tv in May. ‘Under Armour will be in there. There hasn’t been a three-team bidding in years, since I went to Reebok a long time ago.’ James signed a $90 million deal with Nike in May 2003 while Vaccaro was with Adidas. But at that point, only two companies were in the mix for his services. Vaccaro said Wiggins could be a modern-day equivalent. ‘I’m talking about LeBron-esque money, I mean that sincerely,’ he said. ‘I don’t how you can avoid it.’ […] Three sources said that Adidas has pegged Wiggins as their prime target—and they would be willing to open up the bank for him. Of course, no meetings or official offers can be made until Wiggins declares for the 2014 draft after his season at Kansas. […] ‘From what I’m hearing, (Adidas) is really high on him,’ an industry source said. ‘I’ve heard a range for sure, from like $140 to $180 million for like 10 years. That’s a big deal for a kid coming out of school because most rookie deals are probably like four years. ‘I’m hearing from people at Kansas that he’s got a $180 million offer supposedly coming from Adidas,’ a source close to Wiggins’ inner circle said. ‘But I also heard that Nike is going to match anything.’ There’s no question Nike, the world’s leader in footwear and apparel, will place a bid for Wiggins, who’s unanimously projected to be the top draft pick next June. Wiggins wore Nikes growing up, according to two sources, and his former Ontario-based AAU team, CIA Bounce, was sponsored by the company. In addition, Nike could eventually have an ‘in’ with Wiggins through Rich Paul, who has been (LeBron) James’ agent since last September. Paul is also connected to Mike George, the former director of CIA Bounce, which featured Wiggins’ friends and fellow Canadians Anthony Bennett, Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson, all of whom are now in the NBA. One NBA agent said he’d ‘be surprised’ if Wiggins didn’t end up with Paul. In fact, the source close to Wiggins’ inner circle said Paul and Wiggins met last summer in Ohio, where James was working out with (Kevin) Durant.”